The 2012 Metaphysical Healing Expo, February 11 and 12 will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Houston, 12801 Northwest Frwy (290), 77040.

Come hear great speakers, visit with vendors and join The Lightfoot Way for lunch at their table on Sunday as they talk about how everyone can learn how to communicate with animals.  Only $99 for the weekend event or $60 for one day.  Includes lunch. Sign up while spots are available!

In February 2012, Rhonda Hefferman contacted Houston PetTalk regarding a horrific situation happening in the Crosby area concerning the abuse of animals (View their website). The remarkable volunteers from their area are doing everything they can to help these poor animals, but the injustice is more than they can manage.

Here is Rhonda Hefferman’s story. We hope this story brings awareness and change to the plight of these animals. As a community, let’s help in any way possible; adopting animals, sending donations and/or volunteering our time.

Submitted by Rhonda Hefferman

Animal cruelty happens every minute of everyday all over the world. This is the sad reality. What happened to some two month old puppies near Crosby, Texas however, is one of the worst things we have ever seen or heard about. A young couple came upon a site at an illegal dump  where several puppies had been tortured and killed in such horrible ways it is beyond comprehension. We knew we couldn’t let this go and had to make an effort to do something about this, for the sake of the other animals in the area as well as the people in the surrounding communities. It is well documented that criminals often start out their violent futures by torturing and killing animals. The people who did this to these puppies need to be brought to justice and illegal animal dumping in the area needs to stop. Everyone, no matter where you live in the world, can help with this effort and there are animals from the area still in need.

We want to give our sincere thanks to the two individuals who found the puppies and reported it and rescued the remaining dogs at the massacre site – Brittany Sanders and Matthew Morisette. We appreciate the help of Brittany’s mother, Kathy Sanders, and her good friend Susie Marr as well as little Gavin. None of this would have been possible without their efforts. We also want to thank Melanie Blake for her tremendous support for this effort and her limitless compassion.

Gwinn and Rowdy are brother and sister, Chow Mixes. They went into a kennel in Oct. 2006 and have never left! They must be adopted together into a home preferably with no other animals. They are very sweet and will be very grateful for any attention. Considering all that they have been through, it will take a little time for everyone to get use to each other. Message me or email: coolcolab4@yahoo.com, if you would like all of their information and you can meet them at the kennel!

They are about 5 1/2 years old. They take treats very gently and are very bonded to each other. Although the kennel staff loves them, they need that “special” person to step up and give them a loving home of their own, that they both deserve! They are both fully vetted.

The Houston Pond Society ( http://houstonpondsociety.org/ ), along with the Lone Star Koi Club

( http://www.lonestarkoi.com ) are gearing up for the 2012 Annual Houston Pond Tour, which will be Saturday & Sunday, May 5 & 6. 

If you have a pond, koi habitat, or outdoor water feature, please take this opportunity to share your enthusiasm by joining the tour!  There is no cost to participate, and it’s a lot of fun!

Ponds can be backyard ponds of any size, sophisticated koi habitats, water gardens, or simple water features such as disappearing fountains.

The tour showcases as many as 30 ponds, and spans the entire Houston metro area, from Clear Lake to the Woodlands, from Katy to LaPorte.  Ponds are on the tour either Saturday or Sunday, depending on what part of town they are located in, and hours are from 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. 

It’s a casual tour – most pond owners spend the day sitting out in their yard, and tour goers come and go throughout the day.  Most stay about 15 minutes, and enjoy chatting with the pond owners about pond construction, water quality, fish, landscaping, mishaps, joys, and more. 

There is no charge for your pond to be on the tour, and participants get free tickets, so they can take the tour on the day that their pond is not open.  (Tour goers, of course, do buy their tickets, which benefit our two organizations.)

The tour is advertised in local magazines and newspapers, and – with a little luck – radio and TV spots, as well.

Please join us and open your pond for our 2012 Pond Tour!  You will find a sign-up sheet on our website.  We are signing up ponds NOW, so need to hear from you as soon as possible. 

For more information, visit our website, or call Houston Pond Society president Dan Cook at (713) 822-5515 ordcook1830@aol.com or me, Julie Young (713) 528-5614 or wallpaperlady@att.net

Hope to see you there!

The actual date for the first K-9 Veterans Day will be March 13th. It has been set up in remembrance of all the working dogs who have risked their lives at the sides of soldiers beginning in World War II, right up through the present day. In fact, there are now more K-9 soldiers than ever before.

MWD Fama H176 is one of the newest K-9 veterans. She is a newly retired military working

dog. She will be on hand at The Boneyard on March 10th to celebrate her new holiday.

The US Military K-9 Fund is sponsored by the Texas Chapter of the United States War Dogs

Association Inc in Burlington, NJ. The Texas group is a stand-alone chapter. They get no funding

from the national association headquartered in NJ, and have no legal ties with them. The work

they do for the military working dogs is their own project.

A spokesperson said, “Our goal is to provide every dog deployed with our military extra

equipment and supplies to allow them to do their jobs better.”

The Texas Chapter sends care packages to military working dogs where they serve. The packages

include boots, cooling vests and mats, all of which aid them in staying cool in the hot climates

where a great number of them are deployed. Also included are Doggles™ which are special

goggles for dogs. These goggles provide them protection from the sun and sand.

Cooling equipment is extremely helpful to dogs in hot, dry areas. The dogs need help in

regulating their body temperature. They can experience heat exhaustion faster than a human.

Besides the danger to their health and lives, heat can inhibit their sense of smell, prohibiting

them from sniffing out caches of buried or hidden weapons and ammunition.

Military dogs need these supplies because they are woefully underequipped when they are sent

into service. The only equipment they get when they graduate from training school at Lackland

AFB in San Antonio is a simple tracking harness. They themselves are considered equipment of

the military. The K-9 Veterans Day recognizes these dogs as 4-legged airmen, marines, soldiers,

and Coast guard soldiers.

K-9 Veterans Day has been a long time coming. Now that it is being recognized, it only seems

fitting to use the day to benefit current military working dogs. The Boneyard and All Natural Pet

Delivery intend to do just that. The US Military K-9 Fund Inc will put the donated funds to good

use helping military working dogs around the world.

About US Military K-9 Fund Inc:

Founder Bobbie Miller, a postal worker at an ACE Hardware Store had been processing APO

boxes going to Iraq and Afghanistan for over 9 years. When she saw a package going to a K-9

Unit in 2010, she decided to ask if it contained anything for the dogs, and the customer replied

that she did not think there was. Bobbie asked to send the dogs some toys and treats, and was

given the go-ahead. From that small beginning, the US Military K-9 Fund Inc grew and has sent

more than 250 boxes to places as far as South Korea, Japan, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ann Morrison is the Administrator of the Fund. Ann is an Air Force Veteran, retired from a

career helping animal shelter dogs. Along with administration, Ann also spends her time assisting

with fund-raising for the US Military K-9 Fund.

The Fund has been supported by individual contributors, companies that have offered reduced

pricing and donations, and grant money from a local foundation. The US Military K-9 Fund Inc

takes its job very seriously and intends to work hard to help as many military working dogs as

possible.

Fund email: wardogfund@hotmail.com

Website URL: www.usmilitaryk-9fund.org

Facebook: Facebook.com/US Military K-9 Fund

With a client, this dog behavior turned into the new “home dog” becoming aggressive with my client’s wife.

How this dog behavior problem developed is not as much of a surprise to me as it was with the owners of a newly rescued female Springer Spaniel.

Let me set up this scenario for you. You might recognize some behavior traits in your own dogs or a friend’s dog.

The family has owned a small terrier mix for over 10 years who has enjoyed a luxurious and pampered lifestyle. This male terrier mix who shall go by the name of Rusty, has attached himself to Sally, the mom.  She is glad to comply with his constant nudging and demands for attention. She loves small dogs – lots of couch and lap time.

He’s just adorable! And, he really is. Since her husband George travels a lot, Rusty is a great companion and friend to her.

George had a Springer Spaniel before and wanted another so, now enter Bridget, the Springer.

Have you ever heard of the “honeymoon period” as it relates to new dogs in the family?

Most of you who have worked with rescue dogs are very familiar with it. The “honeymoon period” is the time when most savvy rescue dogs lay low and survey the lay of the land – as Bridget did.  This gave her time to assesswho’s doing what for whom.

George was delighted to finally get Bridget.

And then it began

The constant doting. Even sitting in his easy chair for an evening, his long arms could easily reach down and stroke her head and neck as she lay on her dog bed.

Bridget became so attached to George she became impossible for Sally to handle.  Bridget refused to listen to her, not even giving her a sit or a down.  Sally was responsible for daily walks and evening feeds when George was out of town and daily dog responsibilities became more and more difficult.

Even when George was home – nights and weekends – Bridget began to nip at and get mouthy when Sally hugged her husband.

Little Rusty, the terrier mix, took exception to the invasion of the “spoiled Springer” and well, all you dog lovers know terriers.

As the honeymoon period began to wane, Rusty began to charge the food pantry to guard it from the “spoiled Springer.”

Fights – or should I say tussles, happened more frequently, followed by constant break-ups by the owners.

On top of all of that, both dogs became reactive to doorbells and people coming over.  They finally had to crate them for control. Not the way you would want to enjoy your dogs – at all.  Here’s what we found out.  When George was away, Sally had better control.

 This is how we started to give ownership of the relationship back to George and Sally.

 We began with walks with Sally and Bridget – controlled heeling with lots of left turns for better control and attention.

We set appropriate boundaries in the kitchen to respect at mealtime. Leashing Rusty – the instigator- settled him right down. All-in-all, more structure was needed

In fact, we switched dogs. Bridget became Sally’s dog and Rusty became George’s dog. The husband had to throttle way back on his attention to Bridget and the same rule applied to the wife with Rusty. With both the husband and wife responsible for the feeding, training and exercise of the other’s dog – life is different – in a good way.

With both dogs on an earn-to-learn program and frequent dog obedience training regimen for the past 4 weeks, a mutual respect of their “new owners” is shaping up nicely.  We will switch back dogs later of course, but with new rules.

We’ve added in exercises to tackle the doorbell problem giving the dogs alternate acceptable behaviors to do. Frequent weekly emails have kept me abreast of the progress of both dogs and things are shaping up nicely. Keep your fingers crossed!

What Do You Think?  Let us know your thoughts on today’s issue.  Leave your comments below

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“Together, We Can Raise a Happy and Obedient Dog”

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Jim Burwell is a “thanks for making the impossible, possible” professional dog trainer having trained 20,000+ dogs and counting and serving more than 7,000 clients.  One of his clients says it best: There are people who are so good at, and passionate about, what they do, that in their presence, one can’t help thinking that they have found their true calling and are doing exactly what they should be doing on this earth. Jim is one of these rare people. His quiet and understated manner, his effective technique for training dogs (and their families) is something which I feel fortunate to have witnessed and in which to have been an active participant.  Jane Wagner

(c) Jim Burwell Inc.

Flyball comes to Club Canine! Hot Round Hounds is a flyball club that will be making Club Canine their new home. They are kicking off the new season of flyball this February. To become part of the fun and learn flyball, your canine partner must have obedience training first – you must be able to control your dog before you can then you can play!

If you are interested, give them a call for more info at 281-380-8175!